There are many who should be taking a bow.

Hertford County Public Schools will be accredited officially by AdvancED after the report from the Quality Assurance Review team is submitted in the coming days.

That didn’t happen all by iteself.

It has taken hard work by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michal G. Basham, consultant Ralph Evans, the staff of the district and the Hertford County Board of Education.

For the first time in a while, the Hertford County school board is working together and working in concert with the superintendent. As a cohesive unit, Dr. Basham, Chairman John D. Horton and board of education members J. Wendell Hall, David L. Shields, Ronald G. Baker and Dennis M. Deloatch have brought about the change necessary to make the school district successful.

The first order of business now that they have been accredited should be doing exactly what the review team suggested: develop a marketing plan to let people know about the changes coming within Hertford County Public Schools.

They have worked together with this newspaper to publish some of the information about the transformation in attitude and effectiveness of the school system, but they should do more.

The HCPS vision statement is one that, if followed, will bring transformation in and of itself. The review team loved it and they should for it is at the heart of what makes a school system.

The vision is, “Hertford County Public Schools, a system of excellence, every child challenged, every child valued and every child prepared for the 21st Century.”

We hope and believe they will follow it. Good job by all in the district.

Take a bow Hertford County Public Schools.